Morley Car Park Plan delivered!

Morley Train Station

I was briefed this week on a proposal to bring additional car parking to Morley Train Station which is targeted to be completed in 2016. The proposal, which has financial support from the West Yorkshire Transport Fund, will see a car park provided on Valley Road with improvements including disabled access and CCTV security.

We have been campaigning for many years to get car parking and disabled access improvement at Morley Station. We believe there are sites on Valley Road which could accommodate a car park. This would enable more local residents to take the train into Leeds leaving the roads less congested and improving public transport user rates.

The plan, which has gone through a viability study, is part of a larger package of proposal to improve train links between Leeds and Manchester – including full line electrification and an increase in the number of trains using the line.

We have always believed that the use of land for a car park to support Morley Station was the best use of the land on Valley Road. Proposal for any sort of residential development at this location is a nonstarter and this plan has our fully support as it will improve public transport links for all Morley residents.

I am optimistic that this plan will go ahead. Everyone who uses Morley Train Station knows the hassle you face it you want to park and ride into the City Centre. Improving these facilities – along with the extra trains promised – means better use of public transport and less congestion – both good things. Disabled access and security of the station will also be improved – something we have campaigned open for many years.

We always said the land at Valley Road would be the best location for a car park to serve the Morley community. I am delighted that on this occasion our ideas have been adopted.

Lewisham Park Centre Public Meeting Update



Lewisham Park Centre under threat of closure by Labour

 There was an excellent public meeting at Morley Town Hall last Thursday to discuss Labours proposed closure of the Lewisham Park Centre and Gildersome Youth Centre. Over 200 people turned up and spoke passionately about the work they do and the activities they provide for local children, young people and adults. Groups from both Lewisham and Gildersome attended and made it clear that they backed the campaign to prevent closure.

It is clear that both centres must stay open as they provide a valuable service within communities that suffers from significant deprivation. The work all groups do amounts to thousands of pounds of unpaid work providing positive opportunities to residents both young and old.

I have so much respect for those volunteers who are clear and cut through all the rhetoric when it comes to putting their case passionately about why both centres need to remain open.

The campaign is now running and objection letters are being completed and sent to the senior officers within the Council who will be making the final decision.

A Working Group has also been set up to come up with a long term plan to make sure both centres are sustainable and survive and thrive in the future. This could mean Community Groups taking over the buildings or asset transferring them to their local Town or Parish Councils.

This really is about people power and communities coming together to resist the excesses of a Labour Administration which is disinterested in and detached from the people in Morley and Gildersome.

I am very optimistic and believe this campaign will succeed. With the people behind us we cannot possibly fail and both Lewisham and Gildersome Centres will be providing the support communities need long into the future.

Campaign launched to oppose Labours plans to close Lewisham Park Centre

Lewisham Park Centre under threat of closure from Labour

Morley Borough Independent Councillors have called a public meeting for Thursday 27th November at 7pm at Morley Town Hall to form a campaign to oppose the proposed closure of the Lewisham Park Community Centre. The proposal by Leeds City Council could see many groups left without a place to undertake their activities including dance classes and youth services.


The Lewisham Park Centre is well used by many local groups and there is not another community centre available within the local area. Many of the groups – especially the dance classes – have been using the centre for years and provide important positive activities for many local children and young people. This closure is not acceptable and we will be doing all we can to prevent it happening.

Labour Leeds City Council are proposing a series of community centre closures across Leeds and had previously closed a community centre used by local groups at Peel Street in Morley.

I know from personal experience what an excellent job these community based groups do. There is no realistic alternative option to the Lewisham Park Centre and we will bring together all groups to actively campaign to keep this centre open.

Labour Leeds does seem to have an obsession with closing facilities in Morley – such as Morley CAB, Siegen Manor and the Lewisham Park Centre. They are happy to close these well used and loved buildings while dumping piles of new homes on us that no one wants which will overwhelm local schools, roads and health centres.

The sooner we get to next year’s local and Town Council Elections and we can boot Labour out the better!

Labours LDF betrayal of Morley confirmed!

Labour Leeds Housing Plans for Morley

We backed a proposal for an early review of the 74,000 housing target proposed by Labour Leeds City Council in it Local Development Framework at a full council meeting last Wednesday.

The proposal, supported by the Morley Borough Independent, Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Green Party Councillors, would have seen an early review of the Development Plan to reduce the target down to 50,000 which would have saved many Greenfield sites from the threat of future housing development.

The 74,000 new houses target will overwhelm local schools, roads and health centres. This target is too high and will have a significant negative impact on local communities. Morley’s target of 7,400 new homes will see local families struggling to get their children into local schools and longer waiting times to see a GP at local health centres.

The Labour Administration used its majority to vote the Plan through despite all opposition parties coming together to propose an alternative reduced target.

This LDF plan is a Developers Charter which will allow house builders to rip up precious Morley Greenfield Sites such as Laneside Farm in Churwell and Spring Gardens in Drighlington. It will also give Developers the chance to avoid previously developed brownfield sites while they hover - like vultures - over Morley Greenfield sites. We will continue to campaign against this over development proposed for our communities.

Leeds City Council will start a process in 2015 that will identify the specific sites which will need to be developed to deliver the 74,000 target and will include a review of Greenbelt boundaries to accommodate this higher figure.

Labour – as ever the Developers friend – slavishly backed the 74,000 target giving backing to their mates in the House Building Industry to rip up Greenfield sites across Morley and beyond. Cllr Neil Dawson – a similar capitulator – offered nothing more than feeble words as his Labour Chums nailed the last nail in his election coffin next May. Morley Folk will not forget his duplicitous actions.

The type of housing we are offered in this plan is not affordable housing which will rehouse those on Morley’s Housing Waiting List but more Executive Style Housing. Local infrastructure cannot cope with this level of over development as local primary and secondary schools are full and Health centres packed. We will battle on through the site specific process next year to reduce the impact of this unachievable and unsustainable target foisted on us by Labour Leeds City Council.

Blocking the LDF - MBIs go into battle!

We will use a debate at next Wednesdays Leeds City Council Meeting to try to block the Councils proposed LDF Development Plan figures of 74,000 new homes across the Leeds City Council area with over 7,000 planned for Greater Morley. The debate will lead to a vote on adopting the LDF the Councils future development plan which confirms where all new development should go.


Everyone across Morley knows that local schools, roads and health centres are already full. Proposing an additional 7,000 homes across Morley will lead to gridlock and put the education of future Morley children at risk.

The MBI Group on Leeds City Council are the only set of Councillors who opposed the 74,000 target from the start arguing a lower target as this level of development was not sustainable or achievable. The Plan covers the Development needs of Leeds City Council up to 2028.

It is clear that we need more affordable homes to house local people. But this plan does not offer us this. The LDF means Morley Greenfield sites being ripped up to accommodate executive style housing while not providing the homes we need for young families or the elderly. Leeds City Councils pledge is that only 15% of these new homes will be affordable – that is not nearly enough to cover the housing needs of local people.

Morley was offered its own hearing with the Planning Inspector who considered the LDF – the only town in Leeds offered this option because of the high numbers of objections to the plan. The proposed LDF will mean the loss of Greenfield sites such as Dunningley, Tingley Station and Churchfields over future years as the 74,000 target has to be reached by 2028.

This is a totally unrealistic and unachievable target to reach. It is a Developers Charter which will allow them to pick and choose which Greenfield sites in Morley they plunder. Developers already have planning permission for over 20,000 new houses on mainly brownfield site across Leeds. By reducing the total development figure we can preserve most of our Greenfield sites and force developers to use brownfield sites first before coming to Greenfield sites.

MBI offices shut by Labour led Leeds City Council

Morley Borough Independent Councillors have returned to Morley Town Hall following closure of our offices by Labour Leeds City Council earlier this year. We are using the Council Chamber in Morley Town Hall to meet local residents to help them with their problems and concerns.

We have made a specific choice to be based in Morley Town Hall and not down in Leeds City Centre at the Civic Hall. Although we were evicted from our rooms by the present Labour Administration at Leeds City Council, we pledged to return to the Town Hall so people could drop in and see a councillors about the problems they need resolving. We have delivered on that pledge.

We are available through the week to meet with residents who can book an appointment with a councillor by ringing the MBI Helpline on 0113 2477538.

It is important we are available to meet our constituents. Shutting councillors away at Leeds Civic Hall where residents can’t meet them might be the way other political parties do things but it’s not ours. We are committed to meeting people locally. This approach makes us more accessible and more accountable and is clearly what constituents want.

Its Electryfying!

Morley Town Centre to get a street electricity supply

I have welcomed the news that an electricity point is to be introduced on the pedestrianised section of Queen Street close to the junction on Peel Street. The finance for the supply was agreed at a recent Area Committee meeting and will mean concerts and street events will now have access to electricity which was previously provided by generators.

This is a good news story and will support the Town Centre to continue to be vibrant. When we have street events, such as the Christmas Light Up event or Street Concerts, we suffer from not having an electricity supply to use. This means bringing in noisy generators. This grant from Area Committee will allow us to support the Town Centre better.

The grant of £2500 will provide a lockable street pillar which can be accessed when events are being held. A similar supply already exists in other local towns.

The need for an electricity supply for concerts and other events has been raised at the Town Centre Management Board on many occasions and this partnership approach with Area committee allows us all to support the Town Centre.

Valley Road Traveller Site Update

Over 800 people attended the MBI Valley Road Traveller site Public Meeting

I’m calling a further public meeting following news that the Valley Road Travellers Site planning application is to be refused with the formal refusal decision expected on Monday. The meeting will discuss the future use of the site and the potential for an appeal from the applicant.

The final refusal decision should be available on Monday and it appears the application is to be refused on amenity, highways and breach of planning policy reasons. This is a victory for the people of Morley and I thank those hundreds of residents who joined our campaign to oppose this inappropriate development.

The application for a large Travellers Site at Valley Road drew over 800 people to a public meeting organised by MBI Councillors in Morley Town Hall earlier this year. That was followed up with over 1500 objections lodged by residents opposing the application.

I am delighted we have been successful with our campaign but we need to go further and come up with a positive alternative use of the site. This could include an overspill car park for Morley Train Station or other industrial use. We also need to agree to continue the campaign in case the applicant decides to lodge an appeal.

Curiously Labour Councillor Neil Dawson was briefed on this decision before his ward colleagues and prior to Planning making the formal decision. Not surprisingly it was an attempt by the Labour Party to try and claim credit for the work done by others and to portray a firm line on Travellers sites. This is of course baloney as we have seen with Labours position on Cottingley Springs. This is a cynical attempt by the comrades to try and prop up Cllr Dawson in his failing attempt to be re-elected next year. I suspect it won’t succeed!

The date of the meeting will be set as soon as the refusal decision is made public.

Bruntcliffe High School



Many readers will perhaps be aware of the problems emanating form Bruntcliffe High School over the last few months. The school had poor exam results released in August but it has been clear to parents for some time that there were structural problems and questionable leadership up at the school.

We were inundated with parents with legitimate concerns about the school and their children's education. We already shared many of their concerns and have been raising our worries with the relevant authorities for some time. Following the release of the poor exam results we demanded action from the Local Education Authority and joined with parents with their campaign for a change of direction for the school.

We have attended three public meetings arranged by the Parents campaign group. The sole Labour Morley Leeds City Councillor turned up after the first meeting had finished - he had a Labour Group meeting which was more important - didn't show at all for the second and crept in late for the third! We shared Parents concerns that we needed a new headteacher to take charge, the Governing Body dissolving and the school taken over - in the long term - by one of the two Academy schools in Morley, Morley or Woodkirk.

We are pleased to see that a new Executive Headteacher has been appointed - Dave Gurney. Dave has an excellent record down at Cockburn with good achievements on exam results and behaviour at a school that deals with a tough neighbourhood. His decision to attend the last public meeting was an important one and gave parents and students the opportunity to ask questions for over 40 minutes on all aspects of their concerns. Dave did not buckle at all and gave a clear message about his commitment and vision to put the school back on track. Dave Gurney and his management team have our full support as he works towards driving up standards and behaviour at Bruntcliife. His strategy will deliver a third excellent high school which in the long term - we hope - becomes a close partner with Morley or Woodkirk High Schools.

What should we make of this challenge? Perhaps we should listen to parents more who wanted a clear and traditional approach to teaching their children and not some pink rinsed trendy lefty approach. They want the best for their kids and that means making sure we get the best qualified children across Morley achieving the highest standards possible. This is the best way to give them real options and opportunities for the future.

Bruntcliffe has seen some dark days but is now clearly on the way up. It needs the minimum of political interference and the support of Morley parents if it is to succeed. I believe it will and we will have three excellent high schools covering the whole of Morley.

Meeting with Police and local groups

Improvements to Clark Spring Woods delivered by the Churwell Environmental Group

I met with the Morley Policing Team last Friday along with members of the Friends of Springfield Park and volunteers of the Churwell Action Group Environmental Team. We met to discuss with the Police a plan to reduce vandalism and criminal damage which have significantly impacted on the Park and at Clark Spring Woods in Churwell to come up with a plan to reduce it.

Both locations have suffered recently with levels of mindless vandalism and as they rely on volunteers to keep both locations in excellent shape then it is not surprising they feel disappointed when their work is undermined. The Policing Team have agreed to extra patrols and were also keen on getting local young people involved in supporting the work both Groups do. This is an excellent idea and helps young people gain ownership of an area. This in turn sends a clear message to others who might be tempted to vandalise places to stop their anti-social activity or face the wrath of their peers.

We also had a good conversation about the use of POCA (Proceeds of Crime Act) funds to support the work both groups do by improving crime prevention work. This is something to explore in the future but does mean that criminals ill gotten gains could be used to improve the quality of local public open spaces that communities value. This seems an entirely positive thing as the same criminals have often blighted the lives of the same communities.

I hope the plan works as both groups undertake excellent work and provide brilliant public open spaces to their respective communities.

McDonalds fail again!



Former White Bear Pub at Tingley - McDonalds proposed site for their burger bar

 McDonalds have failed again with their planning proposal to bring a fast food take-away to the site of the former White Bear at Tingley Roundabout. The proposal - which was opposed by the Stop McDonald's campaign group with the support of residents and MBI Councillors - is the fourth time McDonald's have attempted to wheedle their ill thought out idea through following three failed planning applications and a failed planning appeal.

So what should we make of their persistence? McDonald's are a large, wealthy and powerful multi-national who think they can grind down a community until they get what they want which is to make more profit regardless of its impact on local communities. This location is in the heart of a residential area and is in the wrong place. We have suggested other sites - such as in the Town Centre or on the Capital Park Industrial Estate - but they don't want to listen.

This location is set up to maximise their profits by taking advantage of the Motorway Network and McDonald's push on with this approach even though they shut their burger bar in Dewsbury earlier this year.

We cannot let McDonald's bully us in to submission. They may be powerful and rich but our continuing campaign to prevent this inappropriate development in a residential area does not diminish in any way despite their numerous attempts to try and wangle their burger bar through. Over 1000 objection letters accompanied this new application with local people refusing to move an inch on the proposal from McDonald's.

What about the future? McDonald's are flogging a dead horse with their plans at this location. Other locations are available and would not have the significant negative impact this plan would have on a residential area. McDonald's may appeal (again!) but we will be waiting for them with the Peoples Resistance Movement. My money is on the People winning this one!

Thoughts after the Scottish Referendum

The Scottish Referendum result last Friday changed the political environment for ever. The Scottish people, who passionately debated the issue with intelligence and humour, voted in their droves on the Independence issue that they felt strongly about pushing turnout on the ballot to over 85%. This mass engagement at all levels with voters - not politicians - leading the debate is something we should all take notice of.

As someone who believes in delegating decision making down to a local level I would have voted yes as - in my view - decisions are better taken at a local level - not left to career politicians who went to the right schools and attended the right universities (and this covers Labour, Lib Dem and Tory MPs!).

The Establishment politicians - in fear of the outbreak of devolution passion - offered more decision making powers to the Scottish people which clearly gave enough voters enough local decision making powers to persuade them to vote no.

But this opens a Pandora's Box on Constitutional matters that cannot be ignored or put back. If we accept as a matter of principle that the Scots should make decisions that impact on Scotland (and likewise the Welsh should decide Welsh issues and the Norther Irish Irish issues) then it is surely the case that English MPs should have the same powers on the same issues for England. That political process should not be corrupted by Scottish and Welsh MPs (most of them Labour) dictating to voters who did not elect them what should happen on taxation, the NHS, Social Security and Planning.

And surely the same should apply to local decision making? It can't be right that Councillors from other areas of Leeds can dictate to the communities of Morley - who did not vote for them - what should happen in Morley. Recent controversial issues - such as planning ones - have been bulldozed through using Labour votes despite the opposition of local Councillors and local communities.

Devolution is a process that must run through all decision making not just those that support the Establishment Parties - Labour, Tories or the Lib Dems - lust for power. That is why Morley needs its own referendum so that local people can decide if they want to withdraw from Leeds City Council and run their own affairs. I expect the same level of passion and engagement about devolution from local people and that has to be a good thing. Decisions needs to be made at the most local level possible. I see Fridays Referendum outcome as something that shows the way ahead for Morley and towards more decision making powers driven by Morley people.

Japanese Knotweed - battling in Morley with this invasive pest!

Japanese Knotweed threatens Morley

We often get involved in high profile issues - such as Travellers sites and affordable homes - but a lot of our time is focused on problems local residents face that are not necessarily seen as high profile by others.

This week I have been on a couple of site visits with residents to look at infestation of Japanese Knotweed. This invasive plant - which was imported by the Victorians over a 100 years ago as a plant to brighten up gardens - is an invasive pest and is now having a significant impact on many local residents lives.

The issue with Japanese Knotweed is that it invades everywhere if left unchecked and can damage buildings by seeping into and breaking up foundations. It has been known to break up garden walls and is a very difficult plant to eradicate. Many residents are now finding this plant creeping into their gardens and the costs to them of eradicating this plant are quite substantial.

But perhaps the thing that bothers me the most is the lack of clarity about the legal process to get the owners of infected land to accept their responsability and get the problem sorted. A good example is a present development site in Morley that has an application in to build houses on it. The area is overwhelmed with Japanese Knotweed and this is impacting on local footpaths but is also infecting the gardens of residents who live adjacent to the site. The owner - who is fabulously wealthy and owns large areas of land across Morley - is refusing to accept any responsibility for the problem and is failing to take any action to prevent his weed infested area infecting residents properties with all the expense that brings with it. I've contacted the Environment Agency and the Council to find out the correct legal process to make this landowner accept his responsibilities but it is still unclear how we achieve this.

The issue of Japanese Knotweed is a national one and many have been taken by surprise by its creeping invasion. We need clarity on the legal process for having it cleared and probably some national finance if we are to overcome this problem. The alternative could be more costly as properties infected with the stuff are often unsaleable.

I often talk about another invasive pest blighting Morley - the Labour Party - but Japanese Knotweed is no laughing matter. We need to take this threat seriously and have a clear plan of how we collectively get rid of it.

MARC pushes for more affordable homes

MARC campaigning to save Greenfield sites

MARC (Morley against Reckless Construction) is scheduled to meet a Developer shortly to discuss MARC's plans for more appropriate affordable homes for local people. Many people believe - rather erroneously - that we are against all development. This is not the case. As residents will have seen with Liberty View, Kirkness Court and new homes on Glen Road, we are interested in new affordable homes in the right locations.

And this leads us to a discussion with a local Developer where we will be exploring the options to bring more bungalows to Morley which could accommodate older and disabled residents - many of whom are presently over accommodated. We are told that there is not a market for bungalows but we know that many older folk are in bigger Council owned properties and want to move to accommodation which is more appropriate. In these cases (and we saw this with Kirkness Court) we had larger Council homes returned to us which were offered to families on Morley's Housing Waiting List. As over 2,000 are on that list then anything we can do to try and make better use of  our publicly owned housing stock must be a good thing.

What we need is more appropriate accommodation, preferably on brownfield sites, which deliver the maximum number of affordable homes for local residents. This must include homes more suitable to older and disabled residents who can be better accommodated.

We are not doing any deals with the Devil but we are having an open and honest discussion with Developers about the potential way ahead. It is inevitable there will be some new homes built across Morley. We need to make sure that as many of them as possible are affordable and contribute positively to offering better housing options for all our communities.

Success at Albert Road



Cllrs Shirley Varley and Judith Elliott on Albert Road

My colleagues Shirley Varley and Judith Elliott have been battling for many years with both Leeds City Council and Yorkshire Water to deal with flooding issues on Albert Road which has blighted resident’s lives for over a decade.

The problem related to a water drainage system which was not made big enough when Seven Hills School was built. The poor drainage system could not take the amount of water pouring into the system during periods of heavy rain and that left about a dozen homes struggling with flooding problems on a regular basis.

My colleagues took it up with the Council who claimed it was a Yorkshire Water problem. Yorkshire Water claimed it was down to the Council to sort it out and homes flooded regularly while responsibility was argued about. After over a decade of battling my colleagues finally persuaded Yorkshire Water to do the honourable thing and overhaul the water drainage system and this is to be done over the next month or so.

Often our campaigns are wide spreading covering hundreds and sometimes thousands of homes. In this case it about a dozen homes but we have pursued the right result with exactly the same vigour - pushing for a fair outcome for residents. Sometimes it seemed we were bashing our heads against a brick wall but - barring the occasional amnesia episode - we have finally managed to break the wall down and get things resolved. Congratulations to my colleagues and local residents for working together over the years to grind out a result.

On to the next campaign be it big or small!

A Public Inquiry and other curious tales!

The Cottingley Springs Public Inquiry finished this week

 The Cottingley Springs Public Inquiry finished yesterday after a 4 day hearing. The Inquiry follows a call in of Leeds City Councils planning proposals to expand Cottingley Springs by Eric Pickles which is their controversial plan to expand the already over large site in to the Green Belt. I have acted as advocate on behalf of local residents and the process has been a gruelling but most enlightening one!

Leeds City Councils case in brief is that they could not find any other site that could accommodate a small Travellers site of 12 pitches. This follows what they claim to be an extensive search of 214 sites in Leeds City Council ownership. It is beyond Hans Christian Anderson's Fairy Tales to believe that no other alternative site could be found across the whole Leeds City Council area but under further questioning Leeds City Councils case became clearer.

Both the Regeneration and Asset Management Officers confirmed the real position Leeds City Council have towards the Travelling Community by stating that Travellers had not been involved in any of the Regeneration Discussions and that the needs for more Travellers pitches was not incorporated into any Leeds City Council regeneration strategies. They went further to confirm that Developers perception of the introduction of a Travellers site anywhere in a regeneration zone would have a negative impact and reduce land values - even when they failed to evidence this view. The message was clear from the Council - not one site was available for a small Travellers site because it would have a negative impact on their wider plans.

This cannot be an acceptable way to resolve the problem of the lack of availability of Travellers Pitches across the City and expanding Cottingley Springs - which already has problems because of its size - will only make matters worse.

The big issue is the approach of Leeds City Council which is about placing a larger site in the same location of the City while doing their best to prevent sites that need regenerating from being used for a Traveller site! This curious position is one that sits badly with the Labour Party's view that it genuinely embraces everyone within the Peoples Party. The truth is somewhat different. The ruling Labour Group has had 214 alternative sites - many in Labour Wards - it could have used to provide a small Travellers site. A smaller site would satisfy new planning guidance at both local and national level and would be what most Travellers want. But Labour do their best to prevent their synthetic support for communities actually turning into action and use almost Fairy Tale approaches to prevent making a positive contribution to resolving the lack of Traveller pitches issue. Indeed at Sandon Mount in Hunslet the Comrades have managed to drag out a planning application for a small family site for almost 2 years with the three Labour Councillors and the local Labour MP objecting. So much for Labour solidarity!

I hope the Planning Inspector sees through the Councils Fairy Story like defence of the lack of any alternative sites across a City the size of Leeds. A refusal of Planning Permission for Cottingley Springs would be a good news story for all - including Travellers - as Leeds City Council would then have to adopt a realistic approach to identifying alternative sites which already exist, developing them quickly to reduce the problems all communities face with unauthorised sites.

Not lovin' McDonalds - a further chapter

The White Bear Pub at Tingley - site of the proposed McDonalds Take-away

The McDonald's Take-away proposal at Tingley has again raised its ugly head. The application has been well and truly refused planning permission on 4 separate occasions - with one being via a failed appeal to a planning inspector.

How do they get away with this outrageous behaviour? Apparently they have found a legal loophole they can exploit which allows them to try and grind down local residents by using their significant power and wealth to bully communities into submission. Their lack of respect for local people is as unacceptable as their greasy burgers and is just as difficult to digest.

But the most cynical of their actions is to launch this further dodgy application at the beginning of the summer holidays probably in the forlorn hope that  - as people are away enjoying the summer - no one will notice it has been put in and objections to this appalling application will evaporate.

There is no chance of that happening. We will be leafleting the 1500 homes around the area with new objections forms to make sure we maximise opposition to this proposal. It is difficult to get residents fired up again as many people think that opposition is futile and McDonald's will grind out planning permission sooner or later. We don't accept this. We can and we must prevent a McDonald's take-away blighting this residential area with all the associated problems a fast food take-away will bring.

Resistance is not futile. Let's gear ourselves up for yet another battle.

Eviction and a bullying Labour Party

There is no doubt that the Labour Party over the years has failed to beat the MBIs in elections at City or Town Council level. They managed success in one City Council Election in 2011 - the first and only time they have seen success for over a decade - and have failed in 8 contests at both City and Town Council Level since then.

So what do you do if you cant get rid of those pesky MBIs through the ballot box - you try to bully them into submission by evicting them form their offices in Morley Town Hall with the forlorn hope that that will somehow give you electoral success.

The MBI office in Morley Town Hall has been around for over a decade and is a local spot where people can go to get help and advice on many issues. If people need help with the bedroom tax or other social security problems, or they need rehousing or their bins emptied - they drop in the office so we can help them. Direct access and direct accountability. Unlike the Labour Party - who will ask you to wait for their monthly surgery at Asda (if you are lucky) - we try and deal with your problem as quickly as possible. Surely that's what being elected is about - being in the heart of and accountable to your community? Not according to Labour. They wanted us evicting in a desperate last ditch attempt to try and retain the poor substitute that is their lone City Council Labour Councillor. The eviction will actually cost Taxpayers more - not less - with a 30% plus increase in charges but this pales into insignificance when compared to the whopping £750,000 a year it costs Taxpayers to cover the overtly politicised Labour Group Office at Leeds Civic Hall. The Comrades might talk about cuts and defending services but are much keener in defending their own enhanced political position than dealing with the challenges to the vulnerable.

How do the Labour Party justify this horrendous level of party political bullying. They don't! They can do as they like and the Chief Executive of Leeds and other senior offices aren't prepared to do anyhting about it. Its institutionalised Political Bullying and cannot be described as anything else.

But are we surprised at Labour? Not really. Over the last few years they have systematically removed any representation of Morley Councillors from any of the major decision making bodies in an attempt to centralise power at Civic Hall and remove any localism that may have existed under the previous administration. First they removed Morley from the Executive Board, then from the Housing Committee and in a recent Area Committee meeting from the local Area Panel giving grants to tenants groups - using their majority to stuff these committees with Labour Loyalists who are desperate to get on within the Peoples Party.

Labours eviction of the MBI group will hit local residents especially Older and Disabled constituents who will have to drag into Leeds City Centre if they want to be seen. As ever - Labours commitment to the vulnerable is shown to be veneer thin.

We won't take this lying down. We will find an alternative way of delivering a face to face service to our constituents using Morley Town Hall.

And what of the future? Perhaps we need an in out referendum - like the Scots -  to see if we wish to remain within Leeds City Council or to run our own affairs from Morley. This would put us in charge of what happens locally with planning, housing, roads, parks and libraries. We would not have to depend on the democratic deficit and hope Labour will somehow look for ways of giving Morley a fair deal. Its about returning power back to the people and away from those who decide Morley's fate but are not elected by Morley Folk.

Police Numbers in Morley to be retained



Policing Numbers retained at Morley following Labour U turn



I'm delighted to report that Policing numbers in Morley are to be retained following confirmation by Leeds City Councils Executive Board who agreed that the 5 PCSOs per ward allocation would not be altered. This is a bit of a U turn by Labour who were discussing the options of moving PCSOs from the Outer Areas - such as Morley - to Inner City wards.

As you may confidently have predicted - Labours plan went down badly with local residents who have become used to the higher Policing levels and the inevitable decrease in crime levels that result from higher visibility patrolling on local streets. Morley's Neighbourhood Policing Team has the enviable record of being one of the highest performing teams in West Yorkshire with crime levels below most comparable places - including Wetherby! This is due to the hard work undertaken by and the good leadership within the Policing Team. Crime levels have dropped over the last decade and the Police - working closely with Communities via regular PACT meeings - agree crime fighting priorities in partnership. No-one is suggesting that the work is finished or that our streets are entirely crime free but most would accept that this important quality of life issue has improved significantly over the last few years.

Labours obsession with taking resources form Outer Areas to pump into their own Labour areas has been defeated on this occasion with the Police and Communities opposing the relocation of Policing Staff away from their present area of work. We ran with this issue during the local elections and pledged to campaign hard to retain the numbers we already have. Your support - along with your votes - has lead to this rethink and eventual U turn by Labour. 

A clear case of Power to the People!

 

Valley Road, a reduced Travellers site application and the Thought Police

Morley residents at the recent public meeting

The planning application for a Travellers site at Valley Road in Morley reached a new phase with a reduced application for a 35 pitch site replacing the previous one. This application is still unacceptable but because it is an amended application it has to go through the consultation process yet again. However all the 1500+ objections received last time (a local record in terms of objections!) will be carried over on to the new application which means people do not need to object again if they oppose this development.

The application remains unacceptable at this location because its size and the serious contamination at the site. It is also the case that Morley is again being asked to accommodate additional Travellers pitches while other areas across Leeds choose not to do so because of the concerns they have about Travellers sites in their communities. A decision was due to be made this month but is likely to run into next month because of this administrative device adopted by the Applicant to try and slow down the planning process. Two Stop Notices have been served on the Traveller Applicant and a court order has also been obtained to prevent any further demolition or earth works at the site.

And this brings me on to the Thought Police - also know as GATE or Gypsy and Traveller Exchange - a pressure group for Travellers that acts as apologists for their often poor behaviour especially on unauthorised encampments. GATE - who get taxpayers money form Leeds City Council, the NHS and West Yorkshire Police - are using the same cash paid by hard working tax payers to try and silence those who do not buy into their rosy view of the Traveller issue. GATE complained about my comments on this application to the Standards Board on Leeds City Council - who - after full consideration of their claim - confirmed it was bogus. But underneath is a sinister element where GATE try to use such bogus claims to suppress anyone who dares to stand up against the poor behaviour of many Travellers especially those on unauthorised sites. It is reminiscent of George Orwell's Thought Police portrayed in his book 1984. In the book the Thought Police attempt to use and manipulate language to try and prevent future opposition. This is clearly what GATE - with their bogus complaint - is attempting to do.

We will watch to see if a further complaint comes in from GATE. However a more important point is that we continue to work together to get a planning refusal of this inappropriate development on Valley Road.

Valley Road Public Meeting - what a turn out!



Hundreds attend MBI Traveller Meeting

 Hundreds of people attended our meeting on Monday to launch the campaign opposing the planning application for a Traveller site at Valley Road in Morley. The number of concerned citizens overwhelmed the Town Hall with people having to stand outside to hear the debate.

I set out our clear objections - both planning and community - to this application. The site is inappropriate for this use. It is too large an application, on contaminated land, to close to the railway line and is at an unsustainable location. It is industrial land and should be used to bring more jobs to Morley - not for a Cottingley Springs Mark 2 Travellers site.

Speaker after speaker backed our campaign including both Labour and the Conservatives. Concerns were raised about community safety and the impact the proposed traveller site would have on crime levels. One of the major points to come out of the evening was a clearly held view that Morley had already contributed to resolving the Leeds Traveller problem. With Cottingley Springs on our doorstep and several small family sites across the Greater Morley Area - we are doing our bit to accommodate the Traveller burden. Other areas need to take their fair share and not dump the problem on Morley Folk for them to solve!

My colleague Cllr Shirley Varley spoke passionately against the proposal which drew the largest applause of the whole evening!

We are WAGs not NIMPYs. That is We've already given not Not in my back yard types.Its time for other areas to take their fair share!

This was an excellent meeting and it is very humbling to see so many Morley Folk back the MBI Campaign. This is a unified campaign with Morley residents backing our position. It will be interesting to see if Labour buckle on the matter. After all our very own Labour Councillor Neil Dawson backed the expansion of Cottingley Springs as well as the £1.6 million financing package that goes along with it. It will be interesting to see if he can deliver his Labour colleagues to back the refusal campaign. After all Labours reputation in Morley is poor because of their voting record of backing Developers rather than local people.

Lets hope this time they have the backbone to back Morley and not the Party Line!

Building for the Public Meeting

Regular readers will know that we are building support for our public meeting on the proposed Travellers Site on Valley Road. The meeting, on Monday 12th May at 7pm in Morley Town Hall bringing residents together to campaign with us to stop this site being dumped on Morley.

Over 250 objections have already been received by the planning Department and it is our aim to push that over the 1,000 mark. Along with good planning reasons for refusing the application - such as loss of important industrial land and proximity to the railway - other reasons are equally as relevant as our communities already having contributed to resolving the Travellers problem with the citing of Cottingley Springs on our doorstep.

We believe we have contributed significantly to resolving the Traveller problem and now its time for other areas to take some of this burden. It would be clearly unacceptable to have over 100 Traveller Families in a limited geographical area and would lead inevitably to a Dale Farm problem - a problem which cost millions to solve.

Planning Rules say Travellers sites should be smaller family run sites of less than 15 pitches. This application clearly fails this test.

Its time for Morley Folk to stand up and be counted and to join our campaign to block this proposal. I hope as many residents as possible will join me on Monday to send a clear "No!" to this inappropriate planning application.

Campaign to stop 55 Pitch Travellers site at Valley Road



Cottingley Springs expansion opposed

Regular readers know we have always taken a firm line on Travellers sites across the Morley area. We have lead the successful campaign against the expansion of Cottingley Springs Travellers site and have had the Secretary of State call in the application for a Public Inquiry where it is likely to be buried because of its non compliance with Local and National Planning Policy. That Policy is to oppose large scale Travellers sites in favour of smaller family based sites - sites with fewer than 12 pitches.

This is why we were outraged to hear of a new planning application for a 55 pitch Travellers site on Valley Road in Morley. This is clearly an unacceptable application because it will overwhelm Morley with more Traveller families. Indeed Morley is the community more impacted upon by Cottingley Springs than any other community and the problems with that site are well documented and well understood by local residents.

It is clear that the Police can barely cope with the challenges of anti-social behaviour emanating form Cottingley Springs. Adding a larger Travellers site within couple of miles of Cottingley Springs would overwhelm local communities, undermine Morley Town centre and leave the Police with a problem it will be beyond their capacity to resolve.
In Planning Terms the site is inappropriate for this type of development. It is an industrial site which will be needed to support new businesses - creating the jobs we will need in the future. The road to the site is inadequate for caravans and the many industrial vehicles Travellers will bring to the site. It is isolated and too close to the railway line for any domestic use.
It's clearly not in the Travellers interest either. Many residents on Cottingley Springs will tell you that the site is too large and leads to all sorts of problems as different families continue to run feuds against each other. Smaller family sites avoid this problem.
The interesting thing will be the position of the Labour Party on this issue. They are renowned for being soft on travellers and - as long as they don't live in Labour Wards - they are quite happy to tolerate Travellers in other peoples Wards. Indeed for years they have bleated on about unauthorised sites but do nothing to share the problem across the City preferring to dump the problem on the Morley/Wortley area.
This cannot be allowed to go ahead and we have called a public meeting on Monday 12th May at 7pm at Morley Town Hall to form a campaign group to oppose it. I have had large numbers of e mails and phone calls opposing the site but we need to be unified to make sure we send a clear message that Morley will not become the dumping ground for Leeds' Traveller problem.

The potential carnage of Morleys Greenfield sites.



New figures released by the Planning Department show the full extend of the potential carnage facing Morley's Greenfields if Labours Housing Targets are to be reached.

Regular readers will be aware of Labours LDF target of 7,200 new houses across the Greater Morley area. The document received shows that a miserly 18% of this target can be found on existing brownfield sites. Even with my poor "O" level in Maths I can work out that a whopping 80% plus can only be reached by ripping up Greenfield sites across Morley. I'd go further and say Developers will choose these greenfield sites before it even begins to look at the brownfield ones as there is more profit in them!

And this pretty much undermines the Labour Party's position of bleating that new development is necessary but some how can be accommodated on brownfield sites alone. This is a lie and always was but it is one that Labour believe that - if it is used often enough - people will then accept as the truth.

The headline figures show over 500 proposed for Laneside Farm in Churwell with a whopping 1000 plus for Tingley Station. Clearly schools, health centres and roads cannot cope with this level of over development but the Labour Party Supported drive from Developers speeds along.

We will off course make this a big election issue next month. Labours position on this issue is feeble and the only other political players in the area - UKIP - have failed to turn up to any of the rallies or meetings to oppose this Developer led carnage of our Greenfield sites. We are the only political group that has had the backbone to take on the Developers and will continue to do so.

We all agree that we need more affordable homes on brownfield sites but this is not what the LDF gives us. We backed affordable homes at Glen Road, Liberty View and Kirkness Court - all affordable homes - all on brownfield previously developed sites. The LDF offers urban sprawl with an overwhelming offer of Executive style homes. That won't help anyone on the present housing list in Morley.

We will continue to battle with Labour and its LDF and hope that we get full support for our campaign in the forthcoming local elections.

Church Fields Victory!

Cllr Wyn Kidger leads the rally at Church Fields

Readers will remember that we have been battling with Developers to save a greenfield site at Church Fields in East Ardsley. We have campaigned hard with our MARC (Morley against reckless construction) colleagues and with the community in East Ardsley to put the strong case against housing development on this highly valued green field.

On Thursday we held a rally at the site prior to the Plans Panel site visit organised by my good colleague and Church Fields Campaign Co-ordinator Cllr Wyn Kidger. Over 50 people attended and it was great to see the community joining with us, waving banners and giving a clear message to Councillors on the Plans Panel about how important this Greenfield site is.

My colleague Cllr Tom Leadley sits on the Panel looking into this application. The Panel received a position statement report to consider which covers the areas of concern - such as traffic congestion and the impact on local services such as schools and health centres. I am delighted to say that the Plans Panel made a recommendation that the application should be refused. This refusal is likely to be confirmed in June unless the Developer voluntarily withdraws the application - therefore withdrawing the threat of development.

The issues from our point of view are clear. Local schools are full and have no space to accommodate the children generated form this development. Bradford Road is regularly congested and a further 600 cars contributing to this congestion would only make matters worse. The local health centre is already busy with servicing the health needs of people living in the area and a further 1000 plus patients feeding into it would make for longer waiting times to see a GP.

These arguments seems to have been accepted by the Labour dominated Plans Panel. How curious is it that the same arguments - which were relevant at Bruntcliffe Road, Daisy Hill and Owlers Farm - were rejected with Labour capitulating to developers on each and every occasion.

Some would say that Church Fields is in a Labour Ward and therefore gets special treatment. Others say Labour are so worried about losing the Ardsley and Robin Hood seat in the local elections in May that they needed to give the embattled Labour Councillors for the area a victory. Whatever the reason it is always gratifying to see a sinner converted to a better path. It will be interesting to see if this is a permanent or temporary conversion!

We are grateful to local residents for their support and Wyn Kidger has put her body and soul into this campaign working closely with the community in East Ardsley. They all deserve a great amount of credit for not buckling under the power of the large Developers wanting to concrete over this valuable site.

We will not be complacent. It appears we may have won this battle and retained this greenfield site. However we all know Labours propensity to u turn and capitulate to Developers when pressed as they did with Daisy Hill. We will battle on. There is no surrender when it comes to protecting the Greater Morley area from overdevelopment!

Victory for the People!

Regular readers will know about my frustrations with Persimmons the developers of Daisy Hill. Local opposition to this Greenfield site being developed was clear and unequivocal. Despite this opposition Labour Leeds City Council - led by Labour Councillors on the Plans Panel - capitulated to this Developer and granted planning permission on this site.

Persimmons have been poor neighbours and have plagued local residents by failing to comply with their planning obligations often behaving in a significantly anti-social way. Residents have been shouted at when they have politely asked for vehicles to be moved that are blocking their drives, residents have been sworn at by contractors working on the site and other issues - such as noise and mud on the roads - are often met with indifference.

All this week I have been inundated with calls about the road closure that Persimmons need to put in services to the new estate. They were advised to consult with local residents and inform them weeks in advance of the closure. Persimmons decided it was enough to bung a quick note through a handful of addresses leaving most people unaware. As a result of this poor attitude the Road Closure Order - which they need to legally close the road - has been rescinded and Persimmons will not be able to close Daisy Hill next week. Indeed this will set them back several weeks because they can't be bothered to take advice and believe they can get away with anything!

This is a good news for local residents and a Victory for the People who have grown significantly more irritated at Persimmons ability to avoid being held accountable for their poor behaviour. This time it hasn't worked and they will pay a financial price for poor behaviour which will result in a delay to their works.

I already have Planning Enforcement and the Police investigating Persimmons poor attitude. A victory such as this one helps restore faith that on occasions the good guys can win!

Protecting Morley Policing Team

As readers will know I have been a big supporter of Morley Policing Team and especially the PCSOs who contribute greatly to the teams success. Although a sceptic when PCSOs were first introduced I am now utterly convinced that they have been a great thing and have materially contributed to falling crime levels. A new report from the Police is again showing a fall in crime levels over the last year - despite severe financial challenges - and that work is a tribute to all the Policing Team who are doing an excellent job.

And that is why I am cocnerned at Labour Leeds City Councils proposal to reallocate PCSOs away from Morley. A present proposal doing the rounds it to shift one of the five PCSOs paid for by Leeds City Council to other areas - presumably Labour areas with higher crime rates. This would mean a 20% cut back in the number of PCSOs paid for by Leeds walking the streets of Morley.

We are opposing this as it seems to us utter madness to stop providing the level of support that will mean we can keep on top of crime levels. The PCSO story is a successful one in Morley and that's because they are a strong visual presence on local streets. Their presence and the intelligence they pick up contributes in a big way to making our streets safer and also contributes to higher detection rates. That keeps criminals where they belong - behind bars!

We will resist such a cut back. It will be interesting to see if our local Labour Colleagues will do the same or if they follow the Party Line and capitulate to those lower Policing levels. As ever - we will report back their voting record!

Cottingley Springs - Pickles calls it in!

The controversial decision by Labour Leeds City Council to grant Planning Permission to expand Cottingley Springs Travellers site has been called in by the Secretary of State - Eric Pickles MP - for a final decision. This means that planning permission has NOT been granted for expansion and that Labour Leeds City Councils £1 million windfall to finance the expansion plan now hangs by a slim thread!

What are we to make of this call in decision?

We have consistently said that the application breaches both National and Local planning policy. It breaches the NPPF. Labour Leeds City Councils policy for Travellers has been thrown out by the Inspector examining Labours LDF as he found it incoherent! Labour has no plan B and their plans don't even have the full support of Travellers themselves or of GATE - the Travellers campaign group.

Everyone now appreciates that Labours Dumping Policy - in areas that aren't under Labour control - is flawed. Even the Travellers themselves are arguing for smaller family run sites across Leeds as the expansion of Cottingley Springs is likely to make the problem worse for many of the residents already living there.

Its is therefor clear that Labours attempt at a political stitch up is coming apart at the seams! As they have no Plan B then money that could have been used for smaller family run Traveller sites is likely to be lost and the additional costs of unauthorised sites dumped on local Taxpayers because Labours is obsessed with keeping Travellers out of Labour Wards.

Just as an interesting postscript on a similar relevant planning matter. A small Family run Traveller site proposed for Sandon Mount in Hunslet - which was due to be approved earlier this month - was pulled by Planning Chiefs on the day it was to be discussed. Hunslet is a Labour Ward. Who could have predicted that!

Eric Pickles will have the final say on this application after it is considered by a Public Inquiry. He is likely to refuse it as it is development in the Greenbelt and even some Planning Department Insiders can't see how it can possibly get through.

We need a Plan B and that means Labour Wards taking some of the new smaller Family run Traveller sites. We in Morley have already taken our fair share - its time for Labour to do the same!

McDonalds Defeat - a victory for people power!

Campaigners against Tingley McDonald's

This week the news was released that the application for a McDonald's take-away at Tingley had been refused Planning Permission by a Planning Inspector.


This is stunning news and a brilliant victory for Vicki Smith and her campaign team who have battled the Fast Food Giant for almost 3 years to prevent the application going ahead. It is also a victory for local residents who came together with a united campaign to prevent the blight McDonald's would bring to this Tingley residential area. This victory over McDonald's shows that local communities can take on large multi-nationals and defeat them even if McDonald's and others have deep pockets and political influence. This is a real victory for people power and a well earned reward for Vicki, her team and the local community.

This campaign was not against McDonald's specifically but against this location as its was clearly going to have a significant negative impact on local residents. We did propose that Capital Park - across the road - would be a better location but McDonald's refused to enter into any dialogue with us about alternative sites.

Is this the last we will see of McDonald's at this location? Probably as a refusal at the Planning Inspector level is hellishly difficult to overturn and prevents any such development for years and years.

We are now looking at working with local residents, MARC and the owners of the site to explore alternative positive uses of this site. This will be community led as we want to see the site redeveloped in a sensitive way which takes into account adjacent residential properties.

This is the third victory in as many weeks coming hard on the heels of confirmation that Cottingley Springs Travellers Site expansion plan is being called in by the Secretary of State and news that the development proposal at Ardsley Reservoir has been withdrawn. It just shows that People Power can win if we all stay united!

Stop Notice on Persimmons requested



 Mud on the road - just another breach by Developer Persimmons

 Readers will remember our long campaign to prevent the development of the greenfield site at Daisy Hill in Morley. This sight was a controversial one and was only granted planning permission when Labour fiddled the planning process by packing a plans panel with Labour Councillors who - like the man from Del Monte - like to say YES where Developers are concerned!

Residents wholly opposed this site and raised concerns that it was a tough site for Developers to develop because of its location. We were told that conditions imposed by the planning permission would prevent problems and that issues such as blocked drives, heavy lorries blocking roads and mud on the road would not occur. We were offered a Disneyland vision where Persimmons would work hard to minimise the impact on local residents with promises they would be a good neighbour.

Promise after promise was broken and residents have had enough living in a Persimmons inspired hell hole!

I have formally requested that a Stop Notice is served on the Developer by Planning Enforcement. These are serious notices that are imposed when Developers refuse to comply with the conditions that are part of the legal agreement that comes with the granting of planning permission. The constant disregard for these conditions and the utter contempt Persimmons have for the local community is entirely unacceptable. We need to send the clearest and firmest of messages that such anti-social behaviour cannot be tolerated.

The stop notice has been requested. It will be interesting to see who Labour Leeds City Council put first - residents or the Developer!